


Happiness Of Youths

by ididntdoit_blameitonthedragon



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, M/M, Other, Pining, Zoro Deals With Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 21:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13466763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ididntdoit_blameitonthedragon/pseuds/ididntdoit_blameitonthedragon
Summary: Zoro has feelings for his dense best friend. He’s always been able to keep them in check, but suddenly there’s a wedge between them, and that wedge is Miss Vivi Nefertari; Sanji’s new girlfriend. Suddenly all Zoro can feel is uncontrollable anger and the burning desire to destroy Sanji’s relationship. But that is cruel, and it’ll hurt his friend. So Zoro opts to suffer in silence. At least that way, he’ll still have a place by Sanji’s side. That’s all well and good, until someone catches Zoro’s eye and it’sSanji’sturn to be the jealous best friend. But he has Vivi.Right?





	Happiness Of Youths

Zoro saw the Blonde coming, engrossed in his phone like always. He had his headphones shoved roughly on his head, the funny way he did that mussed up his hair at the back making it look like he had just climbed out of bed. It was easy to hear the rock music that was blasting from them, even over the sounds of the chattering, bustling students that were all noisily making their way to lunch. 

Zoro slunk up to him quietly, laughing as he slipped his arm around the teen’s neck into an unbreakable headlock. Sanji cried out in shock as Zoro pulled his mobile off of him with one hand, using the other to manoeuvre him against his chest where his strength to pin the skinny blonde to his side. “Wha-! Who?”  
Sanji flailed for a moment before realising there was only one Neanderthal that would be dumb enough to take him on.  
“Zoro! What are you doing? Give that back,” the Blonde hissed, simultaneously trying to grab for his mobile and slip his head from the unexpected headlock that had him trapped.  
“I just want to see what you’re up to,” Zoro laughed, simply moving his hand out of Sanji’s reach, ignoring the blonde’s nails that were digging into his tan skin in an attempt to retrieve the small communication device that Zoro held. 

“Zoro I’m serious. Please give it back. I don’t need you breaking it just after I replaced the last one,” Sanji hissed, trying to kick out with his legs, aiming to unbalance the Marimo. Or at least knock him into a wall to loosen his grip.  
But the Blonde couldn’t get the right angle of the swing of his leg, and the surrounding students were making it hard to do anything damaging, even though some of the ones laughing deserved it.  
It was natural for Zoro and Sanji to fight, seriously and not so seriously, and every college student in Grand Line College had learnt to figure out which one it was. If not, it was usually their own fault if they got in the way. 

“Oi Moss-head, I said give it,” Sanji spat, making another grab for the phone. But Zoro tuned him out, like he always did, scrolling down on the internet page that had just loaded. “What are you doing checking out restaurant reservations?” Zoro asked, unconsciously pinning Sanji tighter as he continued to scroll.  
The Blonde had booked a table already, and was now checking the menus. There were more tabs open. _East River Tours, Local Florists, Cinema Viewings, The Martian – Synopsis, Matt Damon – Actor…_

“What the hell?” Zoro asked, releasing Sanji from his grip, who looked several shades pinker. “What’s with all the sissy date stuff?” Sanji grimaced, snatching back his phone and turning it off, pulling his headphones down so that they laid around his neck. He slipped his phone into the shelter of his pocket, his hands following to block access in case the Moss-head aimed for a second attempt. 

“What’d you think? I’m going on a date,” he grumbled, pushing past Zoro. “When? With who?” the green-haired teen asked, following the blushing Blonde. Chick-mode on full, Zoro pestered Sanji with taunts and jabs, until the swirly-brow buckled. 

“Saturday. With Vivi.”  
“What? _This Saturday?_ But that’s my martial arts competition. You said you’d–”  
“I know. And I know that we already agreed I’d go, but Vivi works after college and on Sundays so she’s only free on Saturday so–”  
“So you’re missing my competition to go on a date.” Zoro spat, feeling a little betrayed. He stopped walking, watching as Sanji turned back, his one eyebrow raised. 

“Are you… _sulking?”_  
“No,” Zoro said a little too quickly, turning his face away just in case he was blushing. “Oh my god you are,” Sanji sniggered. “It’s just, we’ve always watched each other,” Zoro grumbled, his voice quiet. “It’s just a competition,” Sanji said, waving it off as if it was nothing. Probably to him it was, but the notion caused a tightness somewhere in Zoro’s chest. His fingertips tingled with chill as he watched Sanji spiel about his date plans with Vivi. 

_Sanji knows what fighting means to me. He wouldn’t ever say–_  
“And besides, we’re only friends. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.” 

Zoro forced a disgusted look on his face, a fake laugh to follow, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest.  
Yeah, Sanji had made this joke plenty of times. He drew the line, again and again, each time carving more scars onto Zoro’s already bloody heart.  
Because Sanji didn’t know Zoro loved him. Loved him from when he first saw him, when he was practising Savate, fighting stronger opponents and winning. From the age of eight, till the age of eighteen. 

“Anyway. I’m glad I ran into you now,” Sanji said, oblivious to Zoro’s distress that he was somehow managing to conceal. “It saves me having to remember to explain it to you later. Besides, knowing you, you’ll probably forget by Saturday, so I’ll have to text you in the morning.”  
Sanji laughed to himself, fishing for his phone from his pocket. “I’m meeting Vivi for lunch so we can discuss plans for Saturday,” he said, already walking away, waving over his shoulder as he went. “I’ll see you at four. Meet you by the bike sheds.” Sanji headed off, pulling his headphones back over his ears.  
“Yeah,” Zoro muttered, watching him walk away, having ditched another of their plans. Guess he was eating by himself. 

The teen stuffed his hands into his pockets, wondering what to do. Usually, he and Sanji would hang out for lunch, before Zoro headed back to the sports hall for P.E. His lessons finished at two, but that usually meant he could train in the gym for a few hours before meeting Sanji at the bike sheds so the two could walk home together. They lived on the same road so it became a sort of ritual for the pair.  
But now, if Sanji was getting himself a girlfriend, was that all about to change? 

_Not yet,_ Zoro’s brain told him. _Sanji didn’t say that he and Vivi were officially together. That meant Zoro still had his best friend for a little bit longer._

Zoro passed lunch in the gym. Physical Education slipped by quickly, along with the two hour training session where Zoro worked his irritation out on the punching bag. Even when Zoro was stood by the bus shed fifteen minutes after the allotted time, he still hadn’t managed to work off all of the aggravation from Sanji’s new found love. 

A buzzing pulled him from his sulking, followed by Sanji’s personalised ringtone; some random _‘Barbie Girl’_ that got stuck in Zoro’s head every time it played. He pulled it out, confused as to why the Blonde was calling him. 

“Hey Zoro it’s me,” Sanji said, just as a girl laughed somewhere on the other end of the line. “Where are you,” but the Blonde didn’t hear him over the laughing. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I agreed with Vivi at lunch to walk her to her workplace. Hope you don’t mind, but I forgot to text you.” Zoro hesitated for a second, wandering what he could say. “Oi Marimo. Are you even there?” Sanji laughed again, waiting for the reply of approval.  
“Yeah, sure its fine. Next time just tell me. But you owe me for this,” Zoro said, turning around to head home. “Sure thing. See you tomorrow.”  
“See you,” Zoro began to say, but the blonde had already hung up. 

Zoro sighed to himself. It seemed he was losing Sanji faster than he had thought.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

The fact that Sanji and Vivi were _‘officially’_ dating spread through College like wildfire. The handsome prince and the gentle princess. Apparently, according to girly gossip, it was a match made in heaven.  
Zoro didn’t quite agree. Nor did he express these thoughts as he threw the dodgeball as hard as he could. Some dick didn’t dodge and ended up being face planted with the bouncy projectile. 

“Roronoa. If I have to warn you one more time,” Coach yelled, simultaneously blowing his whistle. “Ah shut it Coach,” Zoro yelled back, snatching a ball out of mid-air. “It’s their fault they can’t dodge!”  
Zoro released another ball, watching it knock down some other kid. “RORONOA!” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Zoro sighed to himself. “This sucks,” he growled, kicking the trash can as he walked past, heading to the top corridor. It was where the Head of Year offices were. Which meant Zoro was in trouble. Just because he was playing dodgeball. It had nothing to do with the fact he had scored head shot to the coach-  
“Yo, Mosshead!” The familiar voice called out, causing Zoro to turn, watching a familiar face walk towards him, grinning like an idiot. “Feels like I haven’t seen you in a while.”  
“Cause we haven’t,” Zoro answered coldly, masking his hurt. “We haven’t talked in two weeks.” He had been deliberately avoiding the Blonde. Not that it was hard. Sanji had been preoccupied with Vivi more than the moss-head wanted to admit.  
He hadn’t seen him anywhere. He didn’t even turn up to Zoro’s competitions, neither Saturday’s usual local tournaments or Wednesday evenings at Foxy’s not-so-legal Fight Club. Not that the Marimo needed Sanji as a good luck charm; he had still wiped the floor with all of his opponents…. 

But it shouldn’t have been that easy to distance himself. The pair lived two houses from each other. If Sanji really wanted to see Zoro, there was the perfect opportunity to accidently ‘bump into him’ when taking out the trash or heading to the shops. Or something…. 

“What’s with you?” Sanji laughed, clueless to Zoro’s anger. “You look like you’re about to kill someone.”  
“I probably am,” Zoro growled, watching his best friend walk closer, still out of arms reach. “Well, as long as they deserve it.” Sanji laughed at his own joke, moving closer, unable to read into the fact that Zoro was angry. If he got any closer, Zoro was going to hit him.  
“What do you want?” he asked instead, feeling his fists clench, ready if the need arose.

“Do I need a reason to say hello to my best friend?” Sanji answered slowly, finally, _finally_ having picked up on Zoro’s anger. _Directed at him._ “I don’t know,” the Marimo spat, his voice growing too. “Maybe you should go find him and ask him. Now if you have nothing else to say, I’ve got somewhere better to be.” Zoro turned, showing Sanji his back. “Oi Bastard. I wasn’t the one to put you in this shitty mood. So stop giving me the cold shoulder.” Zoro felt a hand on him. 

With one fluent motion he spun, catching the Blonde off guard, his right hand trapped in Zoro’s tight grip. “Oi. Let go,” Sanji said, his voice steely, noticing the danger. And that fact that his precious hand was stuck inside a grip that was slowly tightening. “Leave me alone,” Zoro growled, flexing his grip, digging into Sanji’s hands with his nails to emphasise that he didn’t care about hurting him right now…. 

_Yes he did. He didn’t want to hurt Sanji._  
The only reason he was being bitchy and acting like an asshole was because Sanji was being blind to his feelings. But that didn’t mean Sanji deserved a broken wrist. _And his hands of all things._

Sanji tested Zoro’s grip, giving his limb a slight tug. Zoro didn’t bother holding on, letting go.  
Sanji’s hands snapped back behind his back, guarding his hands from another possible attack. He took a step back also, the movement as obvious as a slap across the face.  
Zoro scowled, glaring at the wall, wondering how much trouble he’d get into for punching it. 

“What’s got into you,” Sanji growled, making sure to keep his distance but goading Zoro nonetheless. He wasn’t worried about fighting the Marimo, but considering the pairs last warning about breaking school property, they should be in a more open space before letting loose.  
_Yeah, Zoro probably shouldn’t punch the wall._

“Something’s wrong,” Sanji commented. He didn’t move, his words not so much a question as it was a statement.  
“Says who?” Zoro answered, trying to focus on the teen’s polished shoes.

“Can I help?”  
“Not really.” 

“You going to tell me.”  
“Not really.” 

Sanji sighed. “Problems with your family?”  
“No,” Zoro shot back a little too quickly. He hated it when Sensei came up in conversation. Just because Sanji knew everything. Like how Kuina really died. Like how Zoro isn’t related to her, nor to Sensei at all. Like who Zoro’s real father is… 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Zoro answered.  
_I just want us to go back to being friends. I want you to break up with Vivi and spend more time with me. I want you to focus on me. Pay attention, only to me-_

“Well if you insist,” Sanji said, smiling slightly now that Zoro’s anger had seemingly evaporated.  
“Well, see you,” Zoro said, turning away. He missed the hand that reached out to him, the sad fleeting expression on the Blonde’s face.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure you’ve subscribed for upload notifications – because you know me and my shitty ability to keep to an upload schedule. I’m aiming for a once a month (possibly week if you’re lucky and my life doesn’t encroach on my writing time) but there are no promises (sorry again).  
> And thanks for reading x
> 
> Also, if you enjoyed this and fancied checking out my other stuff, there are more to come with Zosan, some Sanji-angst ideas, Modern School AUs and more!. 
> 
> I’m collecting prompts for, so if you want to throw me a pairing, a title or a prompt – in the comment section – I would GREATLY appreciate it!!!  
> Also, prompts aren’t restricted to this Fandom.  
> If there’s anything you want me to have a go at, throw the idea my way and I shall try not to butcher it!
> 
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> 
> Much love xxx


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